Reversing mechanism for dry gas meters



June 25, 1935. w, L 2,006,101

REVERSING MECHANISM FOR DRY GAS METERS Filed July 3, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

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h/ [ya/W) June 25,1935. w. HOLM I 2,006,101

'REVERSING MECHANISM FOR DRY GAS METERS Filed July 3, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2

Inventor:

June 25, 1935. HQLM 2,006,101

REVERSING MECHANISM FOR DRY GAS METERS Filed July 3, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 25, 1935. w. HOLM 2,006,101

REVERSING MECHANISM FOR DRY GAS METERS Filed July s, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor:

WM? WQ% Patented June 25, 1935 I v l REVERSING-MECHANISM FOR, DRY GAS METERS I Waldemar Holm, Furstenwalde/ Spree, Germany, assignor to NVV. Machinerieen-en Apparaten Fabricken "Meaf, Utrecht, Netherlands Application July 3, 1933, Serial No. 678,967 In Germany July 5, 1932 11 Claims. (Cl.-731) This invention relates to dry gas meters of the diaphragm divides the interior of the casing the known type in which the movement of the into two measuring chambers, the front measurdiaphragm is transmitted to a reversing mechag C amber 7 a d e ba measuring Chamber nism which reverses the valves of the gas meter 6. Below the connector casin s 8 and 9 for e 5 at the end of the strokes of the diaphragm. gas inlet and outlet respectively segment shaped 5 The invention has more particular for its obchambers 10 and II are arran d Which are J'ect a reversing mechanism which is adapted to nected by the Op a d 13 W the back be arranged. within a separate casing within the measurin mb r a of these Chambers gas meter housing in order to protect it against is provided with a double seat valve housing (I4 the gas flowing through the meter, thus avoidand 5). T ese V ve housings have apertures 10 ing damages of the mechanism caused by dirt l6 and I! which communicate with the inlet or corrosive components of the gas. A further connector cas n a and the Outlet Connector advantage of the reversing mechanism according 9 respectively. The outer seats of these valve H ing to this invention is that the shafts of the housings connect same with the back measuring 5 snap members by means of which the valves are chamber 6,'whereas the inner ones connect them kept in their position up to the moment when with the front measuring chamber 1. the diaphragm has reached the end of its stroke The operation of the gas meter is the followare arranged perpendicular in relation to each ing. In the position of the valves shown in the other. By this it becomes possible to design the drawings the gas entering through the inlet passes mechanism small enough to be placed into the theconnector casingfl and through the aperture 20 separate casing referred to above without diminl6 enters the valve housing 14. The outer seat ishing its reliability. being not covered by the valve disc IS the gas A further object of this invention is to propasses through chamber 10 and opening l2 into vide means for diminishing as far as possible the back measuring chamber 6. The diaphragm the noise of the mechanism, in order to be able 5 thereby is moved towards the front of the gas 25 to use the gas meter in inhabited rooms without meter and pushes the gas contained in the front any trouble. measuring chamber 1 through the uncovered in- The invention will now be described with refner seat of thevalve hOusing aperture H and 'erence to the accompanying drawings in which connector casing 9 to the outlet of the gas meter. Fig. 1 shows a gas meter provided with a re- When the diaphragm has finished its stroke in 30 versing mechanism according to this invention, s direction the Valves are reversed by the rethe front plate of the gas meter housing being versing mechanism referred to later on. Then the removed, gas entering the gasmeter passes through the Fig. 2 is a section through the gas meter taken inner valve seating of valve housing I4 into the along line AB of Fig. 1, front measuringchamber l, pushing the dia- 35 Fig. 3 is a. section taken along line CD of Fig. l, Phragm back a n. by the a in e Fig. 4 shows a modification of the reversing back measuring chamber 6 is forced to leave the mechanism in front view, while gas meter through the opening l3, the outer Fig. 5 is an end view of same, 7 seating of the valve housingl5 and through the Fig. 6 is another modification of the revers- Outlet nn or as h aphragm plate ing mechanism in front view, is guided by means of two levers 22 and 23 piv- Fig. 7 shows same in end. View; otally mounted on a bracket 24 arranged inside Fig. 8 shows a possible modification of a detail the diaphragm ring 3. A rod 25 ensures a guidof the reversing mechanism in front view and ance of the diaphragm plate 5 in parallel fashion. Fig. 9 in end view; Behind the front plate of the front casing l a 45 Fig. 10 shows the leaf spring for transmitting gas tight box 26 is arranged containing the rethe movement of the reversing mechanism to the versing mechanism and the counting mechanism. spindles of the valves, Fig. 11 shows a modifica- In the wall of this box two glands 21 and 28 are tion of this leaf spring. provided, one for leading through the shaft 29 Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3, the gas meter by means of which the reversing mechanism is 59 housing consists of the front casing I and the driven, the other one for leading through the back casing 2. Inside the front casing I there shaft 30 by means of which the reversal is transis provided the diaphragm ring 3 carrying the mitted to the valves. The shafts 29 and 30 diaphragm 4 which diaphragm is provided with each are provided with springs 53 and 54 respecthe diaphragm plate 5. This ring together with tively by means of which the glands 28 and 21 are tightened so that no gas can enter the box 26. Outside the box 26 the shaft 29 carries a lever 3| which is connected to the diaphragm plate 5 by a link 32. Inside the box the shaft 29 carries the guide lever 33. This guide lever ends in a snap member 34, engaging with a corresponding snap member 35 on the tilting lever 36. This angular shaped tilting lever is fastened rigidly to the shaft 39. This shaft 30 carries outside the box 26 two leaf springs 31 and 38 engaging with the spindles 39, 40 of the two valves l8 and I9. Parallel to the shaft 29 a further shaft 41' is arranged in a suitable bearing which shaft carries the suspension lever 42. This lever is connected to the guide lever 33 by means of the link 43.

Between the free end 44 of the suspension lever 42 and the other end 45 of the tilting lever 35-'the reversing spring 46 is suspended.

The operation of the tilting mechanism .is the following. In the position shown in the drawings, the gas entering the back measuringchamber 5 will push the diaphragm, in the view shown in Fig. 2, to the right. By means of the link 32 the lever 3! is taken to the right, thus turning the shaft 29 and the guide lever 33. The suspending lever 42 coupled to the guide lever 33 by the link 43 pivots round its shaft 4|. The tilting lever 36 during the stroke of the diaphragm remains in its position as its snap member 35 resting against the snap member 34 of the guide lever prevents it from moving. While the one point, 45, to which the spring 46 is attached therefore remains in its position, the other suspension point 44 is moving upwards, whereby the spring 46 becomes tensioned. During this movement the line of stress of the spring 46, line 44, 45 passes the shaft 39 (see Fig. 1). When the diaphragm has reached the end ofits stroke, the snap member 34 of the guide lever 33 releases the snap member 35 of the tilting lever 35. Under the influence of the stress of the spring 46 which has become tensioned during the aforegoing stroke, thetilting lever 36 suddenly will tilt over, thereby turning the shaft 30. The. leaf springs 31 and 38 impart this movement to the spindles 39 and 40, whereby the guide lever 33 and the suspension lever 42 are moving in opposite directions, while the tilting lever 36 is prevented from moving by its snap member 35 now resting against the othervface of the snap member 34. The spring 4t-is again tensioned and at the end of the stroke of the diaphragm when the snap member 35 is released again effects the reversal of the valves. A counting mechanism coupled to the shaft 29, which mechanism is not shown in the drawings in order not to complicate same too much, serves for indicating the quantity of gas that passed through the meter.

I-Ieretofore reversing mechanisms which are somehow similar to the one described above have been known in which however the tilting spring is fastened to the tilting lever and to the guide lever. The principal feature of this invention which makes this tilting mechanism differ from those known is the arrangement of the suspension lever which entails the advantage that the movement of the spring is symmetrical. Thereby the loss of pressure of the gas meter which has to be within certain {limits becomes the same when the diaphragm is moving forward and backward.

Figs. 4. and 5 show a modification of the reversing mechanism in which the guide lever 33 carrying the snap member 34 is bell-crank shaped and is fastened to a separate shaft 48 arranged in alinement with the shaft 29 which carries outside the box 26 the lever 3i. To the shaft 29 is fastened the bell-crank lever 56 carrying on one of its arms a pin 47 projecting through a hole in the one arm of the guide lever 33 whereby the movement of the shaft 29 is imparted to theshaft 48. The other arm of the bell-crank lever 5! is coupled by means of the link 43 with the suspending lever 42. The hub 52 of the guide lever 33 rests on both ends against the bearings 49 and 59. The purpose of this arrangement is to prevent the stress of the reversing spring 46 to exercise an unfavourable influence on the spring 53 of the gland 23. As this stress in the previously described reversing mechanism when the snap member 35 rests against the one face of the snap member 34, tends to increase the stress of the spring 53 and when it rests against the other face tends to decrease the stress of the spring 53, the resistance during the forward and the backward stroke will be different. This drawback is avoided by this arrangement.

A further modification of the reversing mechanism is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In this modification the arrangement of the shaft 29 carrying the bell-crank lever 5i, of the shaft 43 carrying the guide lever 33 and of the shaft 39 carrying the tilting lever 35 is the same as in the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The shaft 4! of the suspension lever 32, however, is arranged not parallel to the shaft 29 as in the reversing mechanisms described before but at right angles to it. The reversing spring 49 is suspended between the one end 45 of the tilting lever 35 and the free end 44 of the suspending lever 43, the latter being coupled by means of the link 43 with the bell-crank lever 5!. By the arrangement of the shaft ll at right angles to the shaft the strain which is exerted by the varying stress of the 'reversing spring 43 is better checked than with the heretofore described arrangement, this stress now' being directed perpendicular to the shaft 4 5.

Figs. 8 and 9 show a modification of the connection of the suspension lever 42 and the guide lever 33, the purpose of which is to reduce as far as possible noise that easily arises in the joints of the link 43 with these levers at the sudden reversal of the reversing mechanism. This is attained by means of a leaf spring 55 which at its ends rests against the split pins 63 and 5? provided in the pivots 68 and 99 of the levers 42 and This leaf spring rests in the middle part against the link 43, thus causing a little friction between these levers which friction prevents the joints from clattering. The modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9 may also be applied to the devices shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, 7 respectively for coupling the suspending lever 42 and the bellcrank lever 5!.

The leaf springs 3'! and 3B which serve for transmitting the sudden movement of the reversing lever 35 to the spindles 39 and 49 of the valves l8 and E9 of the gas meter are shown in detail in Fig. 10, Fig. 11 showing a modification. The shaft 30 projecting from the box 29 carries a block 75. To this block the leaf springs 3'! and 38 are fastened by means of the screw 16 provided with the nut TE. Each of the leaf springs 37, 39 consists of two leaves. At the end where these leaf springs engage with the spindles 39 and "Ml of the valves 18 and l! the leaves are bulged out and are provided with a hole through which the spindles extend. The spindles rest with collars 18 provided thereon against the em bossment of the one leaf while nuts 19 threaded on the spindle engage with the embossment of the other leaf. By this arrangement an elastic connection between the leaf springs 31 and 38 and the valve spindles 39, w is attained whereby the occurrence of noise at this connection when the valves are reversed is avoided.

The same purpose is attained with the modification shown in Fig. 11. In this modification the leaves of the leaf springs 31 and 38 which are fastened to the block by means of the screw 16 and the nut 11 are not bulged out, discs 8! of elastic material, such as felt, rubber, leather or the like being provided instead between the leaf springs and the collar 18 and the nut 19.

I claim:

1. In a dry gas meter withone diaphragm and with two double seat valves provided with spindles, a reversing mechanism comprising a shaft actuated by the diaphragm, a guide lever on this shaft, a snap member on this guide lever, a second shaft arranged perpendicular to the shaft of the guide lever, a tilting lever provided with invo legs on said second shaft, a snap member on one of the legs of the tilting lever, adapted to cooperate with the snap member on the guide lever, a third shaft arranged parallel to the shaft of the guide lever, a suspending lever on this third shaft, a link for coupling the suspending lever with the guide lever, a reversing spring fastened on one end to the'other leg of the tilting lever and on the other end to the suspending lever, and means for transmitting the movement of the shaft of the tilting lever to the spindles of the double valves of the gas meter.

2. In a dry gas meter with one diaphragm and with two double seat valves provided with spindles, a reversing mechanism comprising a shaft actuated by the diaphragm, a bell-crank lever on this shaft, a second shaft, arranged in alinemerit with the first shaft, a guide lever on thisshaft, a pin on the said bell-crank lever for coupling same with the guide lever, a snap member "on said guide lever, a third shaft, arranged perpendicular to the shaft of the guide lever, a

tilting lever provided with two legs on said third shaft, a snap member on one of the legs of the tilting lever adapted to cooperate with the snap member on the guide lever, a further shaft arranged parallel to the shaft of the guide lever, a suspending lever on this shaft, a link for coupling the suspending lever with the said bell-crank lever, a reversing spring fastened on one end to the other leg of the tilting lever and on the other end to the suspending lever, and means for transmitting the movement of the shaft of, the tilting lever to the spindles of the double valves of the 885 meter.

3. In a dry gas meter with one diaphragm and with two double seat valves provided with spindles, a reversing mechanism comprising a. shaft actuated by the diaphragm, a bell-crank lever on this shaft, a second shaft, arranged in alinement with the first shaft, a guide lever on this shaft, a pin on the said bell-crank lever for coupling same with the guide lever, a snap member on said guide lever, a third shaft, arranged perpendicular to the shaft of the guide lever, a tilting lever provided with two legs on said third shaft, a snap member on one of the legs of the tilting lever adapted to cooperate with the snap member on the guide lever, a further shaft arranged perpendicular to the shaft of the guide lever, a suspending lever on this shaft, a link for coupling the suspending lever with the said bellcrank lever, a reversing spring fastened on one end tothe other leg of the tilting lever and on the other end to the suspending lever, and means for transmitting the movement of the shaft of the tilting lever to the spindles of the double valves of the gas meter.

4. In a dry gas meter with one diaphragm and with two double seat valves provided with spindles, a reversing mechanism comprising a shaft actuated by the diaphragm, a guide lever on this shaft, a snap member on this guide lever, a second shaft arranged perpendicular to' the shaft of the guide lever, a tilting lever provided with two legs on said second shaft, a snap memher on one of the legs of thetilting lever, adapted to cooperate with the snap member on the guide lever, a third shaft arranged parallel to the shaft of the guide lever, a suspending lever on this third shaft, pivots on the guide lever and on the suspending lever, split pins in said pivots, a link engaging with these pivots for coupling the suspending lever and the guide lever, a leaf spring resting with its ends against said split pins and with its middle part against the said link, a reversing spring fastened on one end to the other legof the tilting lever and on the other'end to the suspending lever, and means for transmitting the movement of the shaft of the tilting lever to the spindles of the double valves of the gas meter. 5. In a dry gas meter with one diaphragm and with two double seat valves provided with spindles, a reversing mechanism comprising a shaft actuated by the diaphragm, a bell-crank lever on this shaft, a second shaft, arranged in alinement with the first shaft, a guide lever on this shaft, a pin on the said bell-crank lever for coupling same with the guide lever, a snap member on said guide lever, a third shaft, arranged perpendicular to the shaft of the guide lever, a tilting lever provided with two legs on said third shaft, a snap member on one of the legs of the tilting lever adapted to cooperate with the snap member on the guide lever, a further shaft arranged parallel to the shaft of the guide lever, a suspending lever on this shaft, pivots on the suspending lever and on the said bell-crank lever, split pins in said pivots, a link engaging with these pivots for coupling the bell-crank lever and the suspending lever, a leaf spring resting with its ends against said split pins and with its middle part against the said link, a reversing spring fastened on one end to the other leg of the tilting lever and on the other end to the suspending lever, and means for transmitting the movement of the shaft of the tilting lever to the spindles 0f the double valves of the gas meter I 6. In a dry gas meter with one diaphragm and with two double seat valves provided with spindles, a reversing mechanism comprising a shaft actuated by the diaphragm, a bell-crank lever on this shaft, a second shaft, arranged in alinement with the first shaft, a guide lever on this shaft, a pin on the said bell-crank lever for coupling same with the guide lever, a snap member on said guide lever, a third shaft, arranged perpendicular to the shaft of the guide lever, a tilting lever provided with two legs on said third shaft, a snap member on one of the legs of the tilting lever adapted to cooperate with the snap member on the guide lever, a further-shaft arranged perpendicular to the shaft of the guide lever, a suspending lever on this shaft, pivots on the suspending lever and on the said bell-crank lever, split pins in said pivots, a link engaging with these pivots for coupling the bell-crank lever and the suspending lever, a leaf spring resting with its ends against said split pins and with its middle part against the said link, a reversing spring fastened on one end to the other leg of the tilting lever and on the other end to the suspending lever, and means for transmitting the movement of the shaft of the tilting lever to the spindles of the double valves of the gas meter.

'7. In a dry gas meter with one diaphragm and with two double seat valves provided with spindles, a reversing mechanism comprising a shaft actuated by the diaphragm, a guide lever on this shaft, a snap member on this guide lever, a second shaft arranged perpendicular to the shaft of the guide lever, a tilting lever provided with two legs on said second shaft, a snap member on one of the legs of the tilting lever, adapted to cooperate with the snap member on the guide lever, a third shaft arranged parallel to the shaft of the guide lever, a suspending lever on this third shaft, a link for coupling the suspending lever with the guide lever, a reversing spring fastened on one end to the other leg of the tilting lever and on the other end to the suspending lever, a block fastened to the shaft of the tilting lever and two leaf springs connected to the said block and engaging with the spindles of the valves, each spring comprising two leaves being bulged out at the point of engagement with the spindles.

8. In a dry gas meter with one diaphragm and with two double seat valves provided with spindles, a reversing mechanism comprising a shaft actuated by the diaphragm, a bell-crank lever on this shaft, a second shaft, arranged in alinement with the first shaft, a guide lever on this shaft, a pin on the said bell-crank lever for coupling same with the guide lever, a snap member on said guide lever, a third shaft, arranged perpendicular to the shaft of the guide lever, a tilting lever provided with two legs on said third shaft, a snap member on one of the legs of the tilting lever adapted to cooperate with the snap member on the guide lever, a further shaft arranged parallel to the shaft of the guide lever, a suspending lever on this shaft, a link for coupling the suspending lever with the said bellorank lever, a reversing spring fastened on one end to the other leg of the tilting lever, and on the other end to the suspending lever, a block fastened to the shaft of the tilting lever and two leaf springs connected to the said block and engaging with the spindles of the valves, each spring comprising two leaves being bulged out at the point of engagement with the spindles.

9. In a dry gas meter with one diaphragm and with two double seat valves provided with spindles, a reversing mechanism comprising a shaft actuated by the diaphragm, a bell-crank lever on this shaft, a second shaft, arranged in alinement with the first shaft, a guide lever on this shaft, a pin on the said bell-crank lever for coupling same with the guide lever, a snap member on said guide lever, a third shaft, arranged perpendicular to the shaft of the guide lever, a tilting lever provided with two legs on said third shaft, a snap member on one of the legs of the tilting lever adapted to cooperate with the snap member on the guide lever, a further shaft arranged perpendicular to the shaft of the guide lever,- a suspending lever on this shaft, a link for coupling the suspending lever with the said bell-crank lever, a reversing spring fastened on one end to the other leg of the tilting lever and on the other end to the suspending lever, a block fastened to the shaft of the tilting lever and two leaf springs connected to the said block and engaging with the spindles of the valves, each spring comprising two leaves being bulged out at the point of engagement with the spindles.

10. In a dry gas meter with one diaphragm and with two double seat valves provided with spindles, a reversing mechanism comprising a shaft operatively connected to and actuated by the diaphragm, a guide lever on this shaft, a snap member on this guide lever, another shaft arranged perpendicular to the shaft of the guide lever, a tilting lever provided with two legs on said other shaft, a snap member on one of the legs of the tilting lever, adapted to cooperate with the snap member on the guide lever, a further shaft, a suspending lever on this shaft, means for operatively connecting the suspending leverwith the guide lever, a reversing spring fastened on one end to the other leg of the tilting lever and on the other end to the suspending lever, andmeans for transmitting the movement of the shaft of the tilting lever to the spindles of the double valves of the gas meter.

l1. In a dry gas meter with one diaphragmand with two double seat valves provided with spindles, a reversing mechanism comprising a shaft'actuated by the diaphragm, a bell-crank lever on this shaft, a second shaft, arranged in alinement with the first shaft, a guide lever on this shaft, a pin on the said bell-crank lever for coupling same with the guide lever, a snap member on said guide lever, a third shaft, arranged perpendicular to the shaft of the guide lever, a tilting lever provided with two legs on said third shaft, a snap member on one of the legs of the tilting lever adapted to cooperate with the snap member on the guide lever, a further shaft, a suspending lever on this shaft, a link for coupling the suspending lever with the said bellcrank lever, a reversing spring fastened on one end to the other leg of the tilting lever and on the other end to the suspending lever, and means for transmitting the movement of the shaft of the tilting lever to the spindles of the double valves of the gas meter. 1 Y WALDEMAR HOLM. 

